AUBURN TRAIL:
FARMINGTON-PITTSFIELD, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: October 12, 2021
Length: Auburn Trail; 14.1 miles
Auburn Trail: Pittsford-Brighton Section; 3.7 miles when complete in 2021.
Difficulty: Easy. Flat stone-dust rail trail.
Directions:
To Start from Farmington Grove Park in Farmington [Southern End]; From I-90 take exit 44 to Route 332 south for 3.5 miles and turn right on Mt Ash Dr. Take your first left on Maplewood Dr and the park is on your right.
To Start from Mertensia Park in Farmington [Southern End]; From I-90 take exit 44 to Route 332 south for 2+ miles and turn right on Route 41. Follow for 1 mile and turn right on Mertensia Rd. The park entrance will be on your left next to the trailhead.
To Start from Lehigh Crossing Park [Central Section]; From I-90 take exit 45 to I-490 west. Quickly take exit 29 to Route 96 and head left. Travel 1.8 miles and turn right on Route 251. The Park entrance is on your right. Follow the Lehigh Valley Trail north from the parking lot then right around the pond. After crossing over the Auburn Trail you'll come to a spur trail on your right that will bring you down to the Auburn Trail.
To Start from Powder Mills Park in Pittsford [Northern End]; From I-490 take exit 27 to Route 96 south for 1 mile. Turn right on Fishers Rd and right again after 0.5 miles on Woolston Rd. The parking lot will be on your left after 0.8 miles, followed by the Woolston Road parking lot.
The Auburn Trail follows the rail bed of the former Auburn and Rochester Railroad, also called The Auburn Road, which was first used in 1841. In Fishers you'll pass by the second oldest RR feature in the US, a cobblestone pumping station. The trail currently travels from Farmington north to Pittsfield. There is a gap in Pittsfield, blocked by the Erie Canal. In Pittsfield, this trail is used as part of the Pittsfield Loop Trail . In 2021 it is being extended north to Brighton from Pittsfield. Future construction will extend the trail south to Canandaigua, where you'll be able to access the Ontario Pathways Rail Trail . The trail also crosses paths with the Lehigh Valley Trail in Victor. For more information visit; AUBURN TRAIL .
Starting from Canandaigua Farmington Town Line Road in Canandaigua; I have not checked out this section. The Auburn Trail heads north alongside Route332 as a double wide sidewalk. Pass by Mt Ash Rd at 0.4 miles.
Note; Heading left on-road along Mt Ash Rd (residential), then left down Maplewood Dr will bring you to the Farmington Grove Park parking lot after 0.3 miles.
After 0.5 miles the trail turns left along the old rail bed where the trail is now wide and paved as it follows an open wooded corridor. Cross Ivory Dr at 1 mile and Route 41 at 2.1 miles. Cross Mertensia Rd at 2.3 miles.
Note; Right is the Mertensia Park parking lot.
I've checked parts of this section. The wide stone-dust Auburn Trail heads northwest through the woods along a high berm crossing a stone culvert over Mud Creek. Along the trail are old, as well as new, RR Mileage Markers. In Farmington S82 (Syracuse 82 miles) should be the first marker, then one every mile. Informational signs located along the trail. Cross E Victor Rd and travel up a small berm. Cross Fish Creek before coming to an intersection at 3.3 miles.
Note; Right leads to the Break of Day parking lot.
Quickly cross Brace Road and another small parking lot before traveling alongside Victor Hills East Golf Club. Cross Proximity Lane before coming alongside Railroad St where you'll find the old Auburn RR Station and an old blue rail car in Victor. Both have been re-purposed. Map Board located here. Cross Maple St and travel alongside some RR tracks before crossing School St at 5.2 miles. The more open trail crosses Rawson Rd followed by Victor Mendon Rd at 6.6 miles. Here you'll find a Map Board. I've checked out this next section. Pass by an old RR Mileage Marker on your left reading S86 (Syracuse 86 miles). After traveling underneath an old RR trestle carrying the Lehigh Valley Trail you'll pass by a spur trail on your left at 7.4 miles. Here you'll find a Map and informational board.
Note; This spur trail brings you up to the Lehigh Valley Trail . If you head left it will bring you to the Lehigh Crossing Park parking lot after 1 mile.
Cross Philips Rd where the open trail follows a power line. You'll pass by a trailhead on your left leading to a bridge over the creek and hiking trails. Scenic. Continuing along the trail you'll enter Fishers passing by the Railroad Street parking lot behind the Fishers Fire Dept. Map Board and informational signs located here. Here you'll find the second oldest RR feature in the US, an 1845 cobblestone Pumping Station (Auburn & Rochester RR) just before Route 42 at 8.5 miles. You'll also find the 1901 Rochester & Eastern Rapid RR Shelter #16 located here. Cross Route 42, continuing north, you'll cross a stone arch bridge over Irondequoit Creek and travel through a tunnel underneath I-90 before crossing Fishers Rd at 9.1 miles. Travel along a high berm, then pass by an information kiosk before crossing an iron bridge over Irondequoit Creek. Travel past a large marsh. Cross Probst Rd at 10 miles. Here the trail follows alongside Railroad Mills Rd to Woolston Rd (Route 29) ending at the Pittsford town line after 10.9 miles.
Note; Heading right along Woolston Rd (expanded shoulders) pass by the Powder Mills Park parking lot 1 after 0.1 miles before coming to the Powder Mills Park parking lot 2 after 0.2 miles.
The trail continues north through Pittsford, however, I have not checked out this section. As of July 2019, this first section of trail north is a partially developed dirt & grass trail.
Note; However, you can bypass this rough section. Head left on-road along Woolston Rd (wide shoulder) and you'll quickly pick up a paved, narrow trail that travels alongside Woolston Rd, which turns into Railroad Mills Rd. This brings you to Sturbridge Lane, where I believe the partially developed dirt & grass trail continues. You can bypass by continuing along the paved, narrow trail on Railroad Mills Rd. Turn left on Park Rd and the paved, narrow trail will bring you to East Street after 1.2 miles. I believe you cross East St, head right, then quickly turn left up La Due Circle where you'll pick up the crushed gravel Auburn Trail on your right.
Cross Sturbridge Lane, turn right and I believe the partially developed dirt & grass trail continues left. Come to East Street at 12 miles (1.1 miles). I believe you cross East St, head right, then quickly turn left up La Due Circle where you'll pick up the crushed gravel Auburn Trail on your right. This section takes you north to Thornell Rd where the trail continues north along a narrow paved trail paralleling Mill Rd. Cross Mill Rd and the now paved trail travels through the woods bringing you out to Knickerbocker Rd after 14.1 miles and the end of the trail. If you head right out to Route 96, I believe the trail continues across the Erie Canal in Pittsford, but there is currently no pedestrian bridge over the canal.
Note; To reach the next section head right out to Route 96, then continue left along a narrow paved trail alongside the road. Turn right on Mitchell Rd (Caution; narrow road with no shoulder) and cross over the Erie Canal where you'll pick up the paved Erie Canalway Trail; Syracuse-Rochester after 0.5 miles. Another section of the Auburn Trail crosses further up Mitchell Rd but doesn't amount to much. Instead continue left along the Erie Canalway Trail. You'll travel underneath the State St & Main St bridges and just before a RR bridge come to a paved spur trail on your right after 1.9 miles. This trail takes you through a parking lot where you head left underneath the RR bridge. Pass through another parking lot and cross Grove St to the Professional Park parking lot. Enter left side and at the back the narrow crushed gravel and grass Auburn Trail starts to the left of the brick storage building after 2.1 miles. See; Pittsford Loop Trail .
Auburn Trail: Pittsford-Brighton Section:
Starting from Grove Street parking lot in Pittsford; I've checked out this section. The narrow crushed gravel and grass Auburn Trail starts to the left of the brick storage building.
Note; Future plans call for connecting the trail south to other completed sections of the Auburn Trail in Pittsford, Victor, Farmington and one day Canandaigua, where you'll be able to access the Ontario Pathways Rail Trail .
Heading north the Auburn Trail follows the power line corridor. Isolated. Cross French Rd at 0.9 miles and you'll soon be traveling behind a commercial area on your left and a golf course on your right. The trail changes to stone-dust at 1.6 miles, then turns to dirt at 1.8 miles. This is the current end of the rail trail.
Note; The Auburn Trail is currently being extended north through Brighton another 1.9 miles to Highland Ave in 2021. Will be a stone-dust surface.
HH
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* Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a complete Auburn Trail map.
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